Just Misunderstood Chapter 2
by Sylvie Orp
Summary: For those who may not have read the second chapter of my earlier 'Just Misunderstood' number 52, published 10-30-11 , here it is. Enjoy


_Chapter 2 - Kennedy assumes. Jax puts him straight._

Kennedy felt that he'd had a close shave at the courthouse the first time. When it happened again, he wondered about the adequacy of the security arrangements. He hadn't been too confident about Special Branch from the start, but CI5 were meant to be the cat's whiskers. He was far from impressed by their show so far.

Take the first attempt on his life. Ok, so an agent got killed trying to save him. He did feel sorry about that – sorry, but not guilty. It was their job. He'd formed the impression, once they'd got back to the house, that Doyle had been very close to the dead man – physically, when the bullets started flying, and emotionally. He looked smashed to pieces when Kennedy had eventually seen him later that evening. He'd heard him retching once or twice. And Merchison, what a bastard he turned out to be. He didn't know if it was a personal vendetta between Merchison and Doyle, but the guy certainly knew how to turn the screws, with Jax in the middle of it all as peacemaker. He didn't envy the guy that job. Merchison seemed to enjoy passing on the bad news to Jax when the radio had squawked. Kennedy was pleased that Doyle wasn't in the room when Merchison had come back with the news, and that it was the more gentle Jax who'd had to 'break the news to the nancy boy'. That had been his phrase, and didn't he savour it. Kennedy did wonder, in view of the depth of Doyle's grief, if there had been anything going on there between the two agents – Doyle and the unnamed one.

Then take the second attempt on his life. They were lucky to get out of that one, too. Then Doyle decided to do a runner in the heat of battle. He hadn't had him down as a coward, but in view of his delicate emotional state, he'd probably gone completely to pieces once the shooting got hot. He didn't see the guy again. He'd probably been suspended or thrown off the force for that little caper – if he hadn't topped himself in the meanwhile that is. They were lucky that the judges, or whoever it might have been, kept their heads and decided to go ahead with the trial anyway that day. 'We will not be dictated to with bullets,' the presiding judge had said; or something similar.

A few days passed. Kennedy was kept safe to and from the court. Different officers guarded him. He gave his evidence and took the cross-questioning. He was returned to the safe house. It became routine. No further bullets came flying. He wasn't sure if that was because the gunmen had been found and arrested – he doubted it – or whether they'd simply gone to ground, perhaps looking for the next opportunity. The guard changed, as it always did, at a certain time of day and he noticed a familiar face this time – Jax had returned. He didn't recognise the other agents with him. He bided his time until he could get Jax alone.

"How are you keeping?" Kennedy opened the conversation.

Jax told him that they were kept busy. Kennedy asked where Jax' partner was. Jax wondered how much to tell him. He didn't want to wash CI5's dirty linen in public. He said that Merchison had been taken off duty.

"I didn't know that winding up the bereaved was such a offence. Offensive yes, but not an offence."

Jax got angry. He wasn't sure why. He certainly didn't want to defend Merchison, but he did want to defend CI5. But Kennedy hadn't finished.

"I don't want to turn the knife, Jax – you have Merchison for that – and I know a guy got killed last week, but your security really stinks."

"We haven't been attacked since," Jax pointed out tersely.

"No thanks to CI5 or Special Branch," Kennedy exploded, "we have one guy killed, another suspended, and the third running away at the height of battle. Now I would have thought cowardice was an offence. I know he was all upset and …"

Jax was white with anger. "You know nothing and assume everything," he yelled. Another agent came in to see if all was ok. Jax told him it was and for him to go back to the kitchen. This conversation was private.

"You are wrong about everything, Kennedy," Jax snarled more quietly. Kennedy was keeping quiet. A trained agent should resist such silences. The professional part of Jax' mind told him to keep his mouth shut. Operations were no business of their prisoner, but the emotional side took over and wanted Kennedy to understand what they were doing on his behalf. And he certainly wanted to clear Doyle's name. Cowardice was the worse thing an agent could be accused of.

"For your information, Kennedy, I'll tell you what happened. Bodie, Doyle's partner, wasn't killed that morning. I know we were lead to believe he was, but I ask you to think – yes, think – about what Merchison actually said when he came back into this room after taking that radio call." He paused while Kennedy went over events in his mind.

"He said that it was bad news and to 'break it to the nancy boy'. Is he/Was he? A nancy boy?"

"None of your damned business – but I know you'll take that as a 'yes', so I'll explain. Bodie and Doyle – as the other partnerships here – are platonic. We rely on each other for our very lives, Kennedy, and that makes us as close as brothers – not lovers – brothers. Is that clear?"

"Clear," said a chastened Kennedy.

"Merchison lead us to believe that Bodie was dead," Jax continued, "but, as you recall, he didn't say so in exact words. We assumed. That cut Doyle up, but he still went on acting professionally. He still did his job. I got up a couple of times that night and I saw Doyle doing his patrols as a professional agent. Keeping you bloody safe."

Kennedy said nothing. Jax went on.

"Next morning we set off again if you remember. The guns started up again and, again, we all put our lives on the line for you Kennedy, including Doyle. He didn't 'run off', as you imagined. He wanted those guys, not only for your sake but for the sake of his friend who he still believed to be dead. Rather than running away, as you assumed, he ran directly into their guns, Kennedy, to stop any more killing. Now you tell me whether that was an act of cowardice."

_Suicidal_, thought Kennedy, _but, no, not cowardice. Certainly not that_. _Bodie must have meant a hell of a lot to him_. Aloud Kennedy asked whether Doyle had been killed.

Jax took a deep breath to calm himself down and said that Doyle had been injured but not seriously. News was later broken to him, and to Jax, that Bodie was alive. He added that Doyle had taken out all the gunmen by his one selfless action and if that didn't measure up to Kennedy's exacting standards, then he should go to and from the courthouse by himself and see how brave he felt then.

Kennedy was suitably rebuked and reflected that one should never assume.


End file.
